Automotive heat exchangers comprise a basic central core comprised of regularly spaced tubes and intermediate corrugated air fins, framed on four sides by a pair of parallel header tanks. Although this invention is intended for any similar heat exchanger it has particular utility with a condenser. Typically, the condenser header tanks are vertically oriented, and the tubes horizontally oriented. Some means is necessary to mount to condenser physically to the vehicle, generally in front of the engine-cooling radiator. The condenser may be mounted directly to the vehicle frame, or indirectly mounted to the vehicle by mounting to the radiator. Whether it's directly or indirectly mounted to the vehicle, the condenser generally requires several brackets, securely fixed to its core structure, which can in turn receive threaded bolts or other fasteners to allow the condenser to be fixed in place.
The alternatives for providing mounting brackets on the condenser include extruding the header tank with integral rails, or attaching separate brackets. Integral rails are heavy, being the full length of the extruded tank, an example of which may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,803. Much of the weight of an extruded header tank rail can be processed away in a post extrusion manufacturing step, leaving only a discrete flange, but the extra step adds expense. Most separate mounting brackets are metal pieces that are somehow fixed to the header tank before the brazing operation and then brazed on solidly later. Numerous examples may be seen in the prior art, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,349. The addition of discrete, localized metal masses to an otherwise regular metal part is undesirable in that it can introduce irregularities in the braze temperature profile, as well as interfere with the smooth stacking and running of parts on the conveyor belt. Separate mounting brackets may also be attached after the brazing operation, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,819, where metal brackets are bolted to the condenser reinforcement after the braze operation. One or more fasteners are needed for each of four brackets, which involves considerably more labor than simply snapping a bracket to a header tank prior to the braze operation. One recent U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,737, shows a condenser attached to a radiator tank with a bracket that is described as being “nested” on top of the condenser tank before being snapped to the radiator tank. It is unclear what “nesting” means, and unclear what material is used in the bracket. Yet another development is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,579, wherein a plastic mounting bracket that is press fit onto each corner of the condenser addresses some of these problems. These plastic brackets are simple and light molded pieces that are attached to the corners of condenser core entirely post braze, in a simple press fit operation that needs no separate fasteners. Each bracket has a cap that fits closely over the end of header tank and an integral channel on the side that snap fits over the core reinforcement, with no additional fasteners needed. Once installed to the condenser core, the plastic brackets gain solid twisting resistance from both sides of the condenser corner, as well as solid removal resistance from the close, snap fit. There remains a need for simple and effective mounting arrangements for heat exchangers that avoid the use of fasteners and accommodate brazing and processing of the heat exchanger core.